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Paris Elementary School

Paris, Maine

When Susan Moccia, an art teacher at the Paris Elementary School in Oxford Hills, considered planting a Pink Tulip garden on school grounds, she viewed the undertaking as more than just a project to raise awareness of breast cancer.

     

She also saw the garden as an opportunity to spark creativity and resourcefulness in her students. To raise money for the tulip bulbs, Moccia invited some of her sixth graders to craft small pink tulip pins from clay. When the clay had dried, the students, who gave up several of their recesses for the endeavor, finished the pins by glazing them and gluing on clasps. They then sold the pink tulip jewelry for $3 a piece during a large parent-teacher conference, where they quickly sold out.

"We've had a lot of people in our school district and in the building who have had scares with breast cancer," Moccia said. "Our school nurse had a bout with breast cancer, and we have had students with moms with breast cancer."

The students made $300 from selling the pins at the conference, and then contributed $100 more to plant a 400-bulb garden.

"Every child ended up planting a pink tulip this fall," Moccia said. "We're just hoping that the deer don't eat them."

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